Jennifer LangNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Tom Bullock decided to trade the khaki clad masses and traffic of Washington DC for Charlotte in 2014. Before joining WFAE, Tom spent 15 years working for NPR. Over that time he served as everything from an intern to senior producer of NPR’s Election Unit. Tom also spent five years as the senior producer of NPR’s Foreign Desk where he produced and reported from Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Haiti, Egypt, Libya, Lebanon among others. Tom is looking forward to finally convincing his young daughter, Charlotte, that her new hometown was not, in fact, named after her.NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Tom BullockMon, 16 Oct 2017 20:58:48 +0000Tom Bullockhttp://wfae.org
Tom BullockThe North Carolina Senate will be in session for a vote tonight. The House will do the same Tuesday morning. The purpose is to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of legislation that makes significant changes to election law. The last time they met, lawmakers passed a bill titled ' The Electoral Freedom Act.' This would help unaffiliated candidates and third parties by dropping the number of signatures they need to get on the ballot. It would also reduce the threshold a candidate needs to avoid a primary runoff. Currently, a candidate needs to garner at least 40 percent of the vote to win. Under this bill, the requirement is 30 percent. These provisions are relatively uncontroversial among Democratic and Republican lawmakers. This bill cancels next year's primary for judicial candidates, replacing it with a system in which the top vote-getters in a general election win outright. Critics, such as Cooper, says this is a ham-handed attempt by Republicans to oust Democratic judges. "If theGeneral Assembly Poised To Override Veto Of 'Electoral Freedom Act'http://wfae.org/post/general-assembly-poised-override-veto-electoral-freedom-act
125421 as http://wfae.orgMon, 16 Oct 2017 20:42:16 +0000General Assembly Poised To Override Veto Of 'Electoral Freedom Act'Tom BullockThe fate of North Carolina's new legislative maps is now in the hands of a federal court. A ruling could come at any time. But in a new twist in this long-running case, the judges signaled they may be willing to do something the plaintiffs explicitly did not ask for and state lawmakers do not want. This is the case of Covington v. North Carolina. It's a case that James Wynn, Thomas Schroeder and Catherine Eagles know well. They are the three federal judges who ruled last year that 28 of North Carolina's 170 state legislative districts violate the 14th Amendment because they're illegal racial gerrymanders. The concern is state lawmakers packed African-Americans into specific districts, diluting the power of their votes. The U.S. Supreme Court has already upheld this decision. Therefore, the maps were ordered redrawn. And in September, the Republican-led General Assembly did just that. All this brings us up to Thursday's hearing. It was all about whether the new districts did enough toJudges Consider Independent Redistricting For NC Legislative Mapshttp://wfae.org/post/judges-consider-independent-redistricting-nc-legislative-maps
125207 as http://wfae.orgFri, 13 Oct 2017 06:09:10 +0000Judges Consider Independent Redistricting For NC Legislative MapsA panel of federal judges again heard arguments about race, redistricting and North Carolina’s legislative maps on Thursday. But this time, not the old maps, but the new ones drawn up by the General Assembly in September. All Things Considered Host Mark Rumsey talks with WFAE’s Tom Bullock who was at the hearing.Federal Judges Hear Latest Arguments On NC Legislative Gerrymandershttp://wfae.org/post/federal-judges-hear-latest-arguments-nc-legislative-gerrymanders
125204 as http://wfae.orgThu, 12 Oct 2017 23:00:05 +0000Federal Judges Hear Latest Arguments On NC Legislative GerrymandersTom BullockOn Thursday, a panel of federal judges will convene in Greensboro to hear the latest round of arguments in a redistricting case which has already worked its way up to the U.S. Supreme Court and back.Federal Panel To Hear Arguments Over Redrawn Legislative Districtshttp://wfae.org/post/federal-panel-hear-arguments-over-redrawn-legislative-districts
125095 as http://wfae.orgThu, 12 Oct 2017 02:34:27 +0000Federal Panel To Hear Arguments Over Redrawn Legislative DistrictsEvery Wednesday the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department holds a regular briefing with the media at its uptown headquarters. But this Wednesday, the media was invited to the CMPD’s Police Training academy to witness and be a part of an exercise involving police use of force. Chief Kerr Putney says it’s the first of many trainings the media will be invited to. Reporters were ushered into a room that looked similar to a high school wrestling room, blue mats hung on the wall and in bold lettering "Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Training Academy." Several reporters volunteered for the training exercise, including WFAE’s Tom Bullock. Their first task was to simulate handcuffing a CMPD officer-in-training, who was acting as a suspect resisting arrest by putting their hands behind their back. It’s harder than it looks, which was part of the point of this exercise. Reporters participating wore belts weighing about 10 pounds to account for the utility belt officers have to wear. Mayor JenniferMedia Get Taste Of CMPD's Use-Of-Force Traininghttp://wfae.org/post/media-get-taste-cmpds-use-force-training
125110 as http://wfae.orgThu, 12 Oct 2017 02:22:55 +0000Media Get Taste Of CMPD's Use-Of-Force TrainingThere were a lot of surprises in a marathon special session by the General Assembly last night. Closed-door meetings led to significant changes in election law, the budget and more. Some things lawmakers said they would fix were not. Another thing surfaced which could make you wonder if clam is the new pork. Morning Edition host Marshall Terry and WFAE reporter Tom Bullock discuss just what happened Thursday night in Raleigh.Late Night Yields Big Changes From General Assembly's Special Sessionhttp://wfae.org/post/late-night-yields-big-changes-general-assemblys-special-session
124804 as http://wfae.orgFri, 06 Oct 2017 10:47:52 +0000Late Night Yields Big Changes From General Assembly's Special SessionTom BullockOn Saturday, Donald Trump will visit North Carolina for the first time since he became president. The purpose? To raise money to help him be president past 2020. President Trump will arrive in Greensboro on Saturday and head to the home of Louis DeJoy and Aldona Wos for a fundraising dinner with some well- heeled friends. Tickets for the event start at $2,700 per couple and go up to as much as $100,000 to attend a VIP reception with the president. The proceeds will go to the Republican National Committee and the president's victory fund. Members of North Carolina's congressional delegation and state Republican officials are expected to attend. DeJoy and Wos have long been big Republican donors. Federal records show that over the last few years DeJoy gave $111,000 to Trump's victory fund, $100,000 to the president's inaugural committee and another $233,000 to the RNC. His wife, Wos, was North Carolina's secretary of health and human services under Republican Governor Pat McCrory. SheTrump Returning To NC For First Time As Presidenthttp://wfae.org/post/trump-returning-nc-first-time-president
124757 as http://wfae.orgThu, 05 Oct 2017 15:10:59 +0000Trump Returning To NC For First Time As PresidentTom BullockThe General Assembly gaveled in a special session Wednesday. Their first order of business: Overriding a veto of a bill which changes more than a dozen state environmental laws. When he vetoed the bill, Governor Roy Cooper said the measure weakened protections from river pollutants and landfills. "I have to disagree with the Governor's points," stated Republican Representative Larry Yarborough, who championed the override effort. And truthfully there wasn’t much debate. The bill, now law, repeals a ban on plastic bags in some areas of the Outer Banks – a move to reduce waste in environmentally sensitive areas. This ban was favored by many local governments and businesses, a point not lost on Yarborough. "It might be supported by some local governments. But those people also have representatives and senators who are in favor of repealing this ban." The new law also changes the rules on stream and river buffer zones, and includes $435,000 to study the possible negative effects of anNCGA Overrides Cooper Veto On Environmental Billhttp://wfae.org/post/ncga-overrides-cooper-veto-environmental-bill
124700 as http://wfae.orgThu, 05 Oct 2017 05:28:10 +0000NCGA Overrides Cooper Veto On Environmental BillTom BullockGun rights vs. gun control. This has become a perennial debate in modern America. After the mass shooting in Las Vegas, it's a debate that again may play out in the halls and chambers of Congress. Both sides have their champions willing to spend heavily to help their views prevail. So a national campaign finance watchdog has created a spreadsheet to help track which politicians are receiving money from which group. North Carolina's Senators are leading this list – or at least one side of it.NC Senate Delegation Tops List Of NRA Political Spendinghttp://wfae.org/post/nc-senate-delegation-tops-list-nra-political-spending
124725 as http://wfae.orgThu, 05 Oct 2017 04:50:51 +0000NC Senate Delegation Tops List Of NRA Political SpendingTom BullockOn Wednesday, state lawmakers will reconvene in Raleigh for yet another special legislative session. If you're thinking these special sessions aren’t as special as they use to be, you're right. This is the third special session since lawmakers officially ended their regular session a few months ago. Special sessions can be unpredictable. Things expected to pass sometimes don’t and mysterious bills can pop up and be quickly passed. But thanks to a note House Speaker Tim Moore sent to his fellow state representatives, we do have an idea of just what lawmakers may try to tackle. First up, overriding gubernatorial vetoes. There are five such vetoed bills on the table. They range from allowing non-profits to host casino game nights to rolling back regulations on water quality to allowing what's been dubbed 'garbage juice' to be sprayed as a fine mist over trash piles. That's a way for dumps to deal with the sometimes toxic liquids that can seep into the ground. Next on Moore's list HouseThey're Back! What To Watch For In Wednesday's Special Legislative Sessionhttp://wfae.org/post/theyre-back-what-watch-wednesdays-special-legislative-session
124620 as http://wfae.orgTue, 03 Oct 2017 20:50:18 +0000They're Back! What To Watch For In Wednesday's Special Legislative SessionTom BullockCharlotte based Cardinal Innovations Healthcare is the largest provider of mental health, developmental services and drug treatment in the state. But lately, Cardinal has made headlines for excessive executive pay which state officials say is illegal.New State Audit Raises More Questions About Cardinal Executive Compensationhttp://wfae.org/post/new-state-audit-raises-more-questions-about-cardinal-executive-compensation
124549 as http://wfae.orgMon, 02 Oct 2017 20:18:45 +0000New State Audit Raises More Questions About Cardinal Executive CompensationTom BullockWhen a group calling itself Anticom announced it would be holding a rally and possible torch-light march in Charlotte in late December, reaction was swift. And it's easy to see why.Protest, Parade Or Rally? Definition Of Far Right Event Determines If Participants Can Be Armedhttp://wfae.org/post/protest-parade-or-rally-definition-far-right-event-determines-if-participants-can-be-armed
124080 as http://wfae.orgMon, 25 Sep 2017 18:31:37 +0000Protest, Parade Or Rally? Definition Of Far Right Event Determines If Participants Can Be ArmedTom BullockYes, Candidate ME was scheduled to be on a break. But then Tuesday, September 12 rolled around, the mayor was voted out, other incumbents were defeated and the Charlotte City Council changed in significant ways.Candidate ME Bonus - What Happened (Charlotte Edition)http://wfae.org/post/candidate-me-bonus-what-happened-charlotte-edition
123708 as http://wfae.orgTue, 19 Sep 2017 20:49:52 +0000Candidate ME Bonus - What Happened (Charlotte Edition)Tom BullockUpdated: 1:16 p.m. 9/15/2017 CMPD has released nearly an hour of audio recorded Wednesday, September 6. This includes police radio traffic and a call to 911 made by a man police would shoot and kill that night at an apartment building in northeast Charlotte.CMPD Releases 911 Call From Man Officers Killed: 'He's Armed. He Sounds Delusional.'http://wfae.org/post/cmpd-releases-911-call-man-officers-killed-hes-armed-he-sounds-delusional
123463 as http://wfae.orgFri, 15 Sep 2017 10:22:10 +0000CMPD Releases 911 Call From Man Officers Killed: 'He's Armed. He Sounds Delusional.'Tom BullockThe results of Tuesday's primaries are in, and it was a night of upsets in Charlotte. Young challengers beat long time incumbents and the city will have a new mayor. Republican Kenny Smith easily won his primary. And Vi Lyles defeated Jennifer Roberts and Joel Ford in the Democratic primary. In a surprise, that race wasn't even close.It's Lyles vs. Smith for Charlotte Mayorhttp://wfae.org/post/its-lyles-vs-smith-charlotte-mayor
123321 as http://wfae.orgWed, 13 Sep 2017 05:00:26 +0000It's Lyles vs. Smith for Charlotte MayorTwo incumbents and two newcomers won Democratic nominations for Charlotte City Council at-large seats in Tuesday's primary.Primary Night Surprises Mean Big Changes For Charlotte City Councilhttp://wfae.org/post/primary-night-surprises-mean-big-changes-charlotte-city-council
123322 as http://wfae.orgWed, 13 Sep 2017 05:00:18 +0000Primary Night Surprises Mean Big Changes For Charlotte City CouncilTom BullockTuesday is primary Election Day in Mecklenburg County. Polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. We don’t know how many ballots will be cast, but we do know the Charlotte mayoral race will end up being the most expensive in the city's history.Big Money Raised And Already Spent In Charlotte Mayoral Racehttp://wfae.org/post/big-money-raised-and-already-spent-charlotte-mayoral-race
123212 as http://wfae.orgMon, 11 Sep 2017 20:48:20 +0000Big Money Raised And Already Spent In Charlotte Mayoral RaceEarly next week, Irma will make her presence felt in the Carolinas. And it is safe to say her stay will not be a pleasant one. But the severity of the storms impact on the region remains unclear. Still emergency preparations in both states continue.Irma Likely Poses Less Threat To Carolinas, But Gov.'s Still Remain Cautioushttp://wfae.org/post/irma-likely-poses-less-threat-carolinas-govs-still-remain-cautious
123085 as http://wfae.orgFri, 08 Sep 2017 20:38:27 +0000Irma Likely Poses Less Threat To Carolinas, But Gov.'s Still Remain CautiousTom BullockTuesday, September 12, is a make or break day for candidates. It's primary day after all, the day the candidate herd is culled. What is that day like for political consultants and candidates who have to simply wait for results?Candidate ME 6 - The Waiting...http://wfae.org/post/candidate-me-6-waiting
122989 as http://wfae.orgFri, 08 Sep 2017 00:52:37 +0000Candidate ME 6 - The Waiting...Tom BullockThe final debate before any election is always the most contentious, the most pointed, some would say the most fun. Wednesday night's Charlotte mayoral debate was no exception. It was televised in prime time and featured just the top tier candidates running for mayor. And it came just days before the all- important September 12 primary.Political Barbs Fly In Feisty Mayoral Debatehttp://wfae.org/post/political-barbs-fly-feisty-mayoral-debate
122952 as http://wfae.orgThu, 07 Sep 2017 12:03:26 +0000Political Barbs Fly In Feisty Mayoral Debate